Razor blade hone



Feb. 22, 1944. ELUMAN RAZOR BLADE HONE Filed June 28, 1943 2/ 5I/I VENTOR.

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Patented Feb. 22, 1944 RAZOR BLADE HONE Harry Elliman, Belfast, Northern Ireland Application June 28, 1943, Serial No.

In Great Britain September 22, 1941 2 Claims. ('01. 51-211) This invention relates to means or devices for sharpening, honing, stropping or polishing the cutting edges of safety razor blades or the like, and of the kind comprising a concave cylindrical 01' substantially cylindrical sharpening, or the like, surface against which the cutting edges of the blade are pressed and positioned parallel to the axis of curvature and over which the blade in that condition is traversed to receive the sharpening or the like action.

In a common form of device of this kind the blade is pressed and positioned upon the concave surface and traversed along the length of it by means of the users fingers. In other forms of device of this kind which have been proposed the sharpening surface is the inner surface of a tube usually of glass and the blade is sharpened against the inner surface by being rotated or oscillated upon a removable blade holder, made to rotate within the tube, with its cutting edges in contact with the inner surface.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind referred to which is simple in construction, convenient in use and precise in results.

According to the invention, I provide a device of the kind referred to, having a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical convex surface spaced parallely or substantially so from, and stationary with respect to, the similarly or substantially similarly curved concave sharpening or the like surface to form therewith a curved gap or slot, the curvatures of said surfaces and the interval or gap between them being such that a safety razor blade inserted endwise into the gap in a position with the cutting edges parallel to the axis of curvature or direction of no curvature is held by direct contact with the two complementary stationary surfaces, its middle length being in contact with the convex surface and its cutting edges held against the concave surface, and the length of the said gap being such as to admit of the blade being rubbed or traversed insaid position over and in moving contact with-both surfaces to receive the sharpening or the like action of the concave surface.

Preferably the width of the gap is less than the length of the blade with which it is to be used to allow the ends of the latter to be engaged by the users fingers.

The concave surface may be smooth or polished, or it may be sandblasted, etched, or otherwise roughened, and to any degree, as may be required by the purpose for which it is to be used.

In order that the nature of the invention and the manner in which the same may be performed may be clearly understood, embodiments thereof will now be described but merely by way of example with reference to the accompanying more or less diagrammatic drawing.

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively sectional elevation and plan of an embodiment of the invention, shown to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a further embodiment to a similar scale.

Referring to Figs 1 and 2, the device comprises a curved, part cylindrical strip I presenting the concave sharpening surface 2 and a similarly curved strip 3 presentin the convex surface 4. The strips are held evenly spaced by end members such as 5 to present the curved gap or slot 6, the width and curvature of which is such that the blade 1 is held between the surfaces 2 and 4 as shown with its middle length in contact with the convex surface 4 and with its cutting edges pressed in contact with the concave surface 2. The width of the strip I is just slightly less than the length of the blade while the Width ofthe strip 3 and consequentl the slot is still less. The straight extension or terminal part 6a admits of the blade in flat, unstressed condition and this facilitates insertion and removal of the blade.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 3 has a slot 8 and extension 8a corresponding and similar or substantially so to the slot 6 in Figs. 1 and 2 but has as a continuation a similar slot 9 curved in the opposite sense and extension 9a. This arrangement enables both sides of both cutting edges to be treated in the one operation, without removal, reversal and re-insertion of the blade as is necessary in the arrangement described in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the use of either arrangement the blade is inserted endwise into the extension part of the slot or gap and the projecting end or ends of it are engaged by the users finger and thumb which can also engage the edge or edges of strip I which acts as a guide and the blade in this position is traversed along the length of the curved slot or slots as many times as required to produce the desired result.

It will be understood that by altering the width or widths of the strips I and/or 3, the width of the slot may be varied. It can thus be made wider in which case for example the blade may be traversed by engagement of the one end only of the blade, or it can be made sufliciently narrow also to allow the blade in the above described position to be rubbed in the direction of its length across the slot against the concave surface or diagonally, that is, with a combined lengthwis and transverse movement. It will also be understood that the width-limiting edge or edges of both strips may be used simultaneously as a guide means to maintain the blade in the desired position.

The slot may be formed as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 from out of two separate members each containing one of the curved or sinuou surfaces and held by clips or endpieces or the like at a suitable interval by the use of removable or interchangeable spacers. These may, if preferred, be projections upon the ends of the complementary surface or surfaces of the member or members themselves, the ends being held together by means of clips, bolts or endpieces, or the likes of them. These latter may in all cases be so made and affixed as to allow easy removal for the purpose of inserting other or additional members or spacers of the kinds described in this specification and in this way two or more slots of the kinds described hereinabove may be held within a common set of clips, bolts or endpieces or the likes of them. All these latter may be provided with feet to rest upon and the feet may be provided with holes for fixing or hanging up purposes. Alternatively the slot, or slots of whatever arrangement, may be formed wholly within the one member and this member may be shaped with or provided with feet to rest upon and/or with holes for fixing or hanging up purposes.

The member, or members, containing the slot, may be made of stone, slate, carborundum, or of other abrasive material, or of metal, glass, porcelain, earthenware, the material sold under the registered record material, or other plastic material or other material having sharpening, honing, stropping or polishing qualities similar to any or all Of these foregoing materials. The edges of the strips containing the gap or slot may be bevelled, spooned, rounded or otherwise cleared to facilitate insertion of the blade into the gap.

trade-mark Bakelite, gramophone Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A razor blade sharpening device comprising a pair of complementary sinuously curved bodies defining therebetween a slot having a width greater than the thickness of the razor blade to be received therein and having a flat portion at either end, said slot being so curved and of such width that when the blade is received within the curved portion thereof it is supported along a linear median line upon the convex surface and its opposite cutting edges are held frictionally against the concave surface whereby when said blade is reciprocated in said slot first one side of the cutting edges of said blade is honed and then the other side as the blade passes along the sinuous curve from concave to convex surfaces.

2.. A razor blade sharpening device comprising a pair of complementary sinuously curved bodies defining therebetween a slot having a width greater than the thickness of the razor blade to be received therein and having a fiat portion at either end, said slot being so curved and of such width that when the blade is received within the curved portion thereof it is supported along a linear median line upon the convex surface and its opposite cutting edges are held frictionally against the concave surface whereby when said blade is reciprocated in said slot first one side of the cutting edges of said blade is honed and then the other side as the blade passes along the sinuous curve from concave to convex surfaces, the width of one curved surface equaling approximately the length of a razor blade whereby the edges thereof serve as a guide for the fingers as the blade is reciprocatecl in the slot.

HARRY ELLIMAN. 

